Every week is an adventure. I share my adventures via images + notes, and you’re invited to join in.
You can find all my adventures here, or follow along via email here.
The View
The Finds
Best Moment of The Week: Receiving an email on Monday, from Katie of Yarn Love. You can read the entire email here (or at the very top of the page here.)
I've been looking forward to reading Homeward Bound, so I was interested in the excerpt in Salon. I was bummed to discover that it left me cold. It's well written and interesting, but the whole premise of “New Domesticity” is so based on the urban, upper-class woman as to be totally outside of my own experience of craftiness and homemaking. In my family, even my extended in-law family, located in the corn fields of rural Ohio and the mountains of Appalachia – this is just how we do things. My dad (the most “urban” of my family, in Southern California), just harvested and canned over 120 lbs of tomatoes. An ex-Marine, 50 year old Harley rider – he's hardly trendy. Despite being one of those crafty 30-somethings who bake because it's fun, I'm bewildered at the author's telling (at least in this excerpt) of this bougie “trend”.
And now for something I loved reading: Stay on the bus. Found via Kim, this is just a fantastic reminder to keep going, even when you feel like you're not “unique” enough.
After years of being the “breadwinner” of the family, I really love finding other women who are willing to talk about. This post on Sweet Fine Day is beautifully honest.
My college roomie (and dear friend!) Allison lost her dad to cancer 5 years ago. I'll be sharing more of her story soon, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm donating 10% of ALL of my sales (of the new class, the signed books, Map-Making Guide) to her Obliteride (wherein 100% of donations go towards cancer research), until she rides on August 9. Donate directly here.
What did you discover in your adventures this week?
Vanessa
July 26, 2013 at 11:48 am (11 years ago)Ooh that new domesticity stuff chaps my ass. It’s so much more than what these upper class hipster urbanites think it is. That movement is part of the reason why I needed to leave NYC. I don’t fit into that esthetic, knitting and sewing aside. I also can’t help view it through the lens of race/ethnicity/racial identity. As a Hispanic woman (I hate that phrase), I also feel like an outsider to this “movement” since well, I was never a white upper middle class kid. I wasn’t rejecting my parents corporate job toting existence since my parents were factory workers. I learned to make do and mend because we were broke! Not because it was chic or eco whatever. It was to extend our dollars growing up!
I guess I’ll skip on out reading the book. It won’t be good for my blood pressure. 😉
Tara Swiger
July 26, 2013 at 11:52 am (11 years ago)Yeah! Ditto everything!
It’s not the author’s WRONG – there really is this trend, and it really does have some strange implications – it’s just that I’m not at all interested in viewing my own creativity from this lens. If anything, I’m bummed that the Pinterest-ification of our generation of ladies is making it seem more and more daunting to “be crafty”. A lot of my “not-crafty” friends just feel overwhelmed!
kellyrand
July 26, 2013 at 5:08 pm (11 years ago)If you do end up reading Homeward Bound, Tara, I would love to read a smart critique from you.
Kylie Bellard
July 29, 2013 at 4:05 pm (11 years ago)Oh, gosh! That email from Katie brings tears to my eyes! I’m so happy for her, and so delighted that you get to make that sort of a difference. Go Katie! Go Tara! Yaaay!
Tara Swiger
July 30, 2013 at 10:12 am (11 years ago)Thanks, Kylie! Isn’t that just the best feeling, when you’re reminded that you actually ARE helpful (I know you must get it, with the wonderful work you do!)